Selective Memory
by Silverneko9lives0
Summary: They met before...but where? When? L x Sunako


_**Selective Memory**_

_L is remembering a little girl he met once in Hokkaido around Christmas. Who is that girl and why is he remembering now after ten years?_

L looked outside the window of the hideout down at the busy street below. He itched to go outside and look at the snowflakes from above him and falling out in the sky.

But he had Light chained to him and this was something he'd much rather do alone.

"Light! Let's go on a date!" Misa said, linking her arm with Light's.

"What about him?" Light asked, pointing at L. Misa frowned. She shrugged.

"Let's go Christmas shopping then," she said. "That way it won't be much of a bother with Ryuuga-kun around."

L nodded—if he was any less dignified, he'd have kissed Misa's cheek. Even if she would be repulsed. They stood and L put his shoes on and an extra sweater on. There was no need to be so formal when going out.

There was no problem with ignoring them.

Light and Misa grabbed their coats, hats, and gloves before they all went outside. While L looked up into the sky, Light and Misa were in a world of their own.

_L, at fifteen, approached a little girl wearing a powder blue coat with bunny ears on top. She was crying._

"_Are you alright?"_

"_Daddy…Mommy…"_

_L looked around. "Are you lost?"_

_The little girl hiccupped and looked at him. She nodded. _

_L smiled. She was a cute little girl. "I'll wait right here with you until your mommy or daddy come. I'm Ryuuga. What's your name?"_

"_S-Sunako."_

"_How old are you Sunako-chan?"_

"_Five."_

"_What's your surname?"_

"_Nakahara."_

L blinked, getting a flake in his eye. He rubbed it. _Nakahara Sunako-chan._

L hadn't thought of that girl for ages. Hell! He barely remembered her. A girl passed by them in a white coat and a dark blue hat pulled over her face. Her hands were gloved and black combat boots were on her feet.

L stopped and looked at her.

Misa and Light stopped too. "Do you know her?" Misa asked.

L hesitated to answer. The girl turned the corner. "No," he finally said. "I don't know her." He continued to walk beside them.

_At least, I don't think I know her…_

_Sunako and L waited a whole hour. The girl was shivering. So was L. "Alright, Sunako-chan, I'm going to call the police, okay?"_

_Sunako could only nod. L forced his fingers out of his pockets and gripped his cell phone in a death grip. He typed in the emergency line and the receptionist answered._

"_I need an officer here now. A little girl was separated from her parents. We're at," L gave the park's name. "Please hurry."_

_He hung up. Sunako-chan rubbed her arms and jumped up and down, trying to warm herself up. L sighed and picked the girl up in his arms and they sat at the bench. He zipped up his coat around the girl and gave her his scarf to keep her neck warm. Of course, he was getting colder because of the snow that was already on Sunako-chan, but he couldn't let the little girl freeze any more than she already had._

_A police car came up and Sunako began to cry again._

"_It's alright, Sunako-chan, he's going to help."_

"_Daddy…"_

"_Are you her brother?"_

"_No, I found her here alone and offered to stay with her until her parents came, but…"_

"_Is she Nakahara Sunako?"_

"_Yes," L answered._

"_Her parents called and have been looking for her for a while now. Get in the car; I'll take you to the station." He turned to Sunako and smiled. "Your mommy and daddy have been very worried."_

_Sunako whimpered and nestled into L's chest closer. L picked her up and they walked to the police vehicle. They drove to the station. When they entered the warm police station, L helped Sunako shed her coat and the officer came back with cups of hot cocoa. "Just sit right there," he said motioning to the bench. "I'll get her parents."_

_He went back again and L took his own coat off. Sunako had the cup clutched in her small hands. She had taken off her gloves and even with them on, her fingers had gone as red as L's. Her cheeks were red and her black hair was messy. L called Watari and told him his situation._

"_I'll come pick you up momentarily," he hung up and L pocketed his cell phone._

_A man and woman strode over to them._

"_Mommy! Daddy!" Sunako cried, jumping off the stool and running to her parents. Her father hoisted her up in his arms and cradled her. L, at first, thought that this man was the harsh, prideful type, but the big man broke down into tears. So did the woman._

"_Where did you find her?" the man asked the officer. The officer told him and looked at L. _

"_That boy found her and stayed with her. When I found them, he was doing his best to keep her warm. You really ought to thank him."_

_The man nodded and L stood, he bowed politely to Sunako's parents._

"_Thank you so much," the woman said. "I can't think of how to repay you."_

_L shrugged. "I don't need repayment. You have a wonderful daughter."_

"_At least have dinner with us tomorrow," the woman insisted. "Or do you have plans with your family?"_

"_I don't have a family," the boy said. _

_The woman frowned. "Then I must insist you come have dinner with us tomorrow."_

"_I'll ask my guardian," L said. "I'm sure he won't mind."_

L yawned as they walked back to the hideout. He saw the girl again. Blinking, he watched her. She stopped at a stall and eyed what was available.

"Oh, creepy girl, how've you been?"

"Quite well," she said.

"Sunako-chan!" a girl shouted. She tackled the first girl—Sunako—and L felt the chain on his wrist pull at him.

"Are you sure you don't know her?"

"I…er…I don't remember," L said. The two girls looked at them.

"Don't I know you?" the girl named Sunako asked.

L shrugged.

"Ry—Ryuuga…"

"Eh?! She knows your name! How could you forget?"

"Sorry, I don't know why I said that. That isn't your name is it?"

"No. It's Ryuuzaki," L answered.

"Ah," Sunako said. "Sorry. I don't know what's going on with me. But…you look so familiar."

L shrugged. "I could say the same for you."

_L knocked on the door. Mr. Nakahara answered. "Oh, Ryuuga-kun, we were wondering if you'd show up."_

_Watari followed L inside. "Thank you for inviting us."_

"_No need for thanks, he saved our daughter. If anything, we should be thanking you," Mrs. Nakahara said. Sunako was in a red dress and watching Hello Kitty on television. "Sunako, Ryuuga-Niisan's here."_

_Sunako turned to look at her mother and saw L. She smiled and jumped up. "Oniisan!" she said, running to hug L. L blushed, somewhat embarrassed. "Oniisan came!"_

"_Yeah, I came," L said. They sat at the kotatsu and began to eat. Sunako's parents asked Watari questions about L, while Sunako tried to imitate the way L sat._

"_My legs are asleep," Sunako said to L after she gave up and sat normally. L shrugged._

"_That can happen sometimes."_

"_Why do you sit so weird?" she asked him._

"_I can't sit in any other way—it's a reasoning thing. If I don't sit like this, my reasoning ability goes down about ten percent."_

"_That's silly," Sunako said. "What's reasoning?"_

"_Reasoning is—"_

"_Ryuuga, she's a child and you're not good at explaining things simply enough for a child to understand."_

"_How about you two go play a game?" Mrs. Nakahara suggested. Sunako jumped up and dragged L to play a game._

"_Can you play Shogi?" L asked._

_Sunako crinkled her nose. "That's boring."_

_L shrugged and looked for another game._

"Well, since we crossed paths, I guess we should introduce ourselves," the other girl besides Sunako said. "I'm Kasahara Noi."

"Ayame Misa," Misa said.

"Eh! The idol!"

"That's me."

"Wow!"

"Yagami Light," Light said politely, "pleasure to meet you."

"Ryuuzaki—just Ryuuzaki."

"Nakahara Sunako," Sunako said, bowing. She turned to Noi. "We have to get back before the Creatures of Light start looking for us Noi-chan. I'm not in the mood to deal with Kyouhei-kun right now."

Noi shrugged and they went their way. "Bye-bye," Noi shouted at them.

Misa waved goodbye after the girls too. "Noi-chan is cute!"

"Sunako-chan too," Light added. "If not a little strange."

L couldn't speak. _So it __was__ her, _he thought.

"Ryuuzaki-san?"

He was silent for a moment. They continued on back to the hideout. "I did know her," he finally said. "We met ten years ago on Christmas Eve."

"Why didn't you say you recognized her?" Misa lectured.

"Yeah, 'Sunako' isn't really that common of a name. She ought to be really memorable."

"She was five," L said. "I was fifteen. Watari and I had Christmas dinner with her family. We played games after dinner. She lived in Hokkaido at the time. She's gotten—"

"Cute," Misa giggled. "And she seems so smart too. Probably as smart as Ryuuzaki-kun."

"She's definitely your type," Light said seriously, but a small smile on his face clarified that he was teasing L just as much as Misa. "If not for Misa, I'd definitely ask her out." Misa slapped Light's arm. "Ouch."

L glared at them. He kept walking, pulling Light along.

"Can't you take a joke?" Light snapped. "We were just teasing!"

"Don't care," L snapped back.

_They bowed to the Nakahara family and Sunako tugged on L's coat. "Oniisan, arigatodaiamasu," she said. "Come back soon."_

"_We'll see, Sunako-chan. I can't make any promises though."_

_Sunako pouted and looked like she'd start to cry, but she just nodded. L patted her head, smiling. It took a lot to make him smile, but this child really buried herself into his heart._

"_We'll see."_

He never did go back to see her. She obviously forgot about him as he did. Which made sense: she was only five when they first met.

It was just a chance encounter then. It was just a chance encounter now.

Just because you run into someone you met a decade ago, doesn't mean that something will happen…

Does it?

* * *

so...how'd you like? Another L x Sunako fic! I've finally came through with my promise, guys! aren't you happy!


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